SATURDAY EDITORIAL

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ARE YOU WILLING TO BE A BAD OR A GOOD SERVANT?

WORD OF WISDOM
FAITHFUL ~ As a designation of Christians, means full of faith, trustful, and not simply trustworthy (Acts 10:45; 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15; Colossians 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:3, 12; 5:16; 6:2; Titus 1:6; Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 4:17, etc.).
It is used also of God's word or covenant as true and to be trusted (Psalm 119:86, 138; Isaiah 25:1; 1 Timothy 1:15; Revelation 21:5; 22:6, etc.).


Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, in promoting His glory, and the good of His people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve Him, will do nothing to please God. They complain that He requires of them more than they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot help. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. This may be applied to the blessings of this life.

Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions

Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

A state of banishment from the presence of the Lord. Have you a trust from the Lord? Are you useful to Him according to your ability?

For what was the unprofitable cast into outer darkness? What had he done? It is true he had not done good. But neither is he charged with doing any harm. Why, for this reason, for barely doing no harm, he is consigned to outer darkness. He is pronounced a wicked, because he was a slothful, an unprofitable servant. So mere harmlessness, on which many build their hope of salvation, was the cause of his damnation! There shall be the weeping - Of the careless thoughtless sinner; and the gnashing of teeth - Of the proud and stubborn. The same great truth, that there is no such thing as negative goodness. We are either good or bad. Hot or cold. Workers for God or not for God.

Mat 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Christ keeps no servants who are idle: they have received their all from Him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for Him. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, in promoting His glory, and the good of His people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again.

Phl 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
His divine glory was exchanged for human lowliness. Jesus willingly relinquished, His claim. He was content to forego the glories of the Creator, and to appear in the form of a creature; yes, to be made in the likeness of the fallen creatures; and not only to share the disgrace, but to suffer the punishment, due to the meanest and vilest among them all.

"He took "the form of a servant" and in order to explain how He took "the form of a servant," there is added, by "being made in the likeness of men." His subjection to the law (Lu 2:21; Ga 4:4) and to His parents (Lu 2:51), His low state as a carpenter, and carpenter's reputed son (Mt 13:55; Mr 6:3), His betrayal for the price of a bond-servant (Ex 21:32), and slave-like death to relieve us from the slavery of sin and death, finally and chiefly, His servant-like dependence as man on God, while His divinity was not outwardly manifested (Isa 49:3, 7), are all marks of His "form as a servant." This proves: (1) He was in the form of a servant as soon as He was made man. (2) He was "in the form of God" before He was "in the form of a servant." Matthew Henry

The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble Him in His life, if we would have the benefit of His death. Notice the two natures of Christ; His Divine nature, and human nature. Who being in the form of God, partaking the Divine nature, as the eternal and only-begotten Son of God, Joh 1:1, had not thought it a robbery to be equal with God, and to receive Divine worship from men. His human nature; herein He became like us in all things except sin. Thus low, of His own will, He stooped from the glory He had with the Father before the world was. Christ's two states, of humiliation and exaltation, are noticed. Christ not only took upon Him the likeness and fashion, or form of a man, but of one in a low state; not appearing in splendour. His whole life was a life of poverty and suffering. But the lowest step was His dying the death of the cross, the death of a malefactor and a slave; exposed to public hatred and scorn.

The final reward depends on faithfulness, not greatness!

God's Blessings to each of you,
LJG/rECj

THINK ON THIS
September 151770 - English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'To use the grace given is the certain way to obtain more grace. To use all the faith you have will bring an increase of faith.'

Source: Today in Christian History